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Helium provides extensive settings to customize your browsing experience while maintaining privacy and simplicity. This guide covers all major settings categories and what they control.

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Settings Overview

Access Helium settings by navigating to chrome://settings or using:
⌘ + , (Command + Comma)

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Settings Organization

Helium reorganizes Chromium’s settings menu for better usability. The menu order is:
  1. You and Helium - Profile and account settings
  2. Appearance and behavior - Visual customization and browser behavior
  3. Privacy and security - Privacy controls, permissions, and security
  4. Performance - Energy saver and performance optimization
  5. Search engine - Default search engine configuration
  6. Autofill and passwords - Form filling and credential management
  7. Downloads - Download location and behavior
  8. On startup - Startup page configuration
  9. Extensions - Installed extensions management
  10. System - Hardware acceleration and system integration
Some sections like “AI Innovations” and “Safety Hub” have been removed from Helium as they conflict with the browser’s privacy goals.

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Appearance and Behavior

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Appearance Settings

Helium provides comprehensive appearance customization:
  • Default theme: Gray theme is set as default
  • Custom themes: Install themes from Chrome Web Store
  • Reset to default: Available on all platforms (including Linux)
  • Helium uses custom color schemes and UI refinements
  • Home button: Show/hide and configure home page
  • Bookmarks bar: Always show, never show, or show on new tab only
  • Tab groups in bookmarks bar: Display synced tab groups
  • Side panel position: Choose left or right side
  • Tab hover cards: Configure preview information
  • Window decorations: Control system window frames (Linux)
  • Page zoom: Default zoom level for all pages
  • Font customization: Configure default fonts and minimum font size
  • Custom font settings accessible via dedicated subpage

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Behavior Settings

The “Behavior” section provides controls for browser interactions: 
- **Copy page URL shortcut**: Enable Ctrl+Shift+C (Cmd+Shift+C on Mac) to quickly copy the current page URL
- **Auto-pin tab groups**: Automatically pin new tab groups to the bookmarks bar
- **Split view drag and drop**: Allow dragging tabs to create split-screen views
The keyboard shortcut Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+C is configurable. When disabled, this shortcut opens DevTools inspector instead. You can change this in Appearance → Behavior settings.

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Privacy and Security

Helium makes significant changes to Chromium’s privacy settings:

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Privacy Page Organization

The privacy page is reordered for better workflow:
  1. Clear browsing data - First priority for privacy
  2. Site settings - Manage site permissions and content settings
  3. Security - Connection security, DNS, and certificates
  4. Helium services - Privacy-respecting features and updates
The third-party cookies section is hidden by default as Helium uses more privacy-friendly cookie policies.

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Privacy Improvements

Site Settings

Manage permissions including:
  • Cookies and site data
  • Location, camera, microphone
  • Pop-ups and redirects
  • Notifications and more
Description updated: “Manage site permissions and content settings (cookies, pop-ups, and more)”

Security

Enhanced security controls:
  • DNS-over-HTTPS with Quad9 option
  • Certificate management
  • Safe browsing settings
  • ECH (Encrypted Client Hello)
Description updated: “Connection security, DNS settings, certificate management, and other security settings”

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Helium Services

Configure privacy-respecting optional features:
Enable/Disable All Services: Master toggle for all Helium-specific servicesIndividual Service Controls:
  • Extension updates: Allow extensions to check for updates
  • Extensions proxy: Enable proxy for extension requests
  • DuckDuckGo !bangs: Support for DuckDuckGo bang searches
  • Browser and component updates: Automatic update downloads
  • Spell checking: Download dictionary files for spell check
Advanced:
  • Custom services origin: Use your own instance of Helium services
All Helium services are privacy-respecting and optional. You can disable any or all of them without affecting core browser functionality.

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Search Settings

Helium modifies search engine configuration:
  • Search suggestions: Moved from Privacy to Search page
  • Add search engine button: Quick access to add custom search engines
  • Default engine: Configure your preferred search engine
Helium supports DuckDuckGo !bangs natively. Enable this in Helium Services for quick searches like !w wikipedia or !yt youtube.

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Performance Settings

Helium integrates with Chromium’s performance features:

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Energy Saver

Customize battery-saving behavior:
  • Energy Saver mode: Enable when battery is low or always
  • Frame rate limiting: Configure maximum frame rate (see Flags for advanced options)

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Memory Saver

Optimize memory usage by deactivating inactive tabs.

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About Page

The About page (chrome://settings/help) shows:
  • Current Helium version
  • Update status and controls
  • Copyright and license information
Modifications: Removed promotional links to Google support pages. Update checking is integrated with Helium services preferences.

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Advanced Settings

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Removed Features

The following Chromium features have been removed or disabled:
  • AI and machine learning features
  • Ad Topics API and Privacy Sandbox (advertising)
  • FedCM authentication bubbles
  • History Clusters
  • Safety Hub (replaced with standard privacy controls)
  • Translate suggestions (translation removed)
  • Autofill promotion links to Google Password Manager

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Accessibility Settings

Accessibility features are preserved and enhanced:
  • Live Caption: Automatic caption generation for media
  • High contrast mode: Improve visibility
  • Keyboard shortcuts: Including custom Helium shortcuts
  • Page zoom: Default zoom level

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System Settings

Configure system integration:
  • Continue running background apps when Helium is closed
  • Use hardware acceleration when available
  • Default browser: Set Helium as default (includes reject button)
  • Proxy settings: Configure network proxy

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Tips and Best Practices

1

First Launch Configuration

  1. Review Privacy and Security settings
  2. Configure Helium Services based on your needs
  3. Set up your preferred search engine
  4. Customize appearance and toolbar
2

Privacy-Focused Setup

  1. Disable Helium Services if you prefer fully offline browsing
  2. Review Site Settings and block unwanted permissions
  3. Enable DNS-over-HTTPS with privacy-focused provider
  4. Consider disabling hardware acceleration if concerned about GPU fingerprinting
3

Performance Optimization

  1. Enable Memory Saver for better RAM management
  2. Configure Energy Saver frame rate limits
  3. Disable unused extensions
  4. Clear browsing data periodically

Keyboard Shortcuts

Learn all keyboard shortcuts including Helium-specific ones

Chrome Flags

Advanced experimental features and Helium-specific flags

Updates

Update channels, automatic updates, and version management

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